Beaujolais Nouveau 2026: What It Is, When It Arrives and Where to Celebrate It in France

A few minutes before midnight in the little town of Beaujeu, the square is packed, breath turns to mist in the November cold, and everyone is waiting for the same moment. Then the barrel is tapped, fireworks light up the hills, and the first glasses of the new vintage go round: bright purple, almost fizzy with youth, smelling of banana, strawberry and crushed violets. Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 will be released on Thursday 19 November 2026, the third Thursday of November, as it is every year. It is a young, fruity red wine made from the Gamay grape, harvested only a few weeks earlier in the Beaujolais region just north of Lyon and meant to be drunk right away. The biggest celebration is the Sarmentelles de Beaujeu, from 18 to 22 November 2026.

Why November is the month of Beaujolais

Let's be honest: November is not one of the friendliest months in France. Night falls early, the real cold arrives, it rains a lot, and if it were not for my birthday, and for the wonderful art exhibitions and the small, excellent shows that multiply across the city at this time of year, I would say it is a dull month.

But the truth is that November is not dull at all. November is a month for those who know that life has to be good whatever the weather or the light. Life does not always need to be bathed in an exceptional Bordeaux or an unforgettable Burgundy, nor in a refreshing white from Alsace or a graceful Champagne. Sometimes life needs the unexpected: that moment when you expected nothing and received everything, a small miracle that comes not from the earth but from the hands of people who believe that they, yes they, can make a good wine.

November, with nothing in its favour, is when the magic really happens. It is no coincidence that November is the month of Beaujolais.

What is Beaujolais Nouveau?

It is the first wine of the year, a red made from Gamay in the Beaujolais region, between Lyon and Mâcon. The grapes are picked in September, fermented quickly, often with whole bunches, a technique called carbonic maceration that gives those vivid aromas of red fruit and banana, and the wine is bottled within weeks. It is not made to age: it is a celebration of the harvest, light, joyful and best served slightly cool, around 13°C.

When is Beaujolais Nouveau released?

On the third Thursday of November, a date set in France in 1985. Before that day, producers are not allowed to sell it. In 2026, that means Thursday 19 November, and in Beaujolais the first bottles are opened at midnight on the night of Wednesday 18 November.

Where to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau in France?

The heart of the party is in the Beaujolais itself. The Sarmentelles de Beaujeu, held in the historic capital of the region, run for five days, from 18 to 22 November 2026, with tastings of the twelve Beaujolais appellations, parades, concerts, gastronomic dinners and, on the night of the release, the midnight tapping of the barrel and fireworks. Many villages in the region also hold their own smaller celebrations that weekend.

Lyon, about an hour away, is the other natural place to be. The city's bouchons, its traditional restaurants, serve the new wine with saucisson, cervelas, pâté en croûte and other Lyonnais classics, and the atmosphere in the old town is wonderful that week. Here is my guide to eating well in Lyon.

In Paris, wine bars and bistros put up their chalkboards announcing the new arrival, and the evening of the third Thursday becomes a joyful excuse to gather around a glass and a charcuterie board. For more ideas, here are the natural wine bars of Paris worth knowing.

Is Beaujolais Nouveau a good wine?

It has had a mixed reputation, mostly because of the mass-produced bottles exported around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. But a Nouveau from a good small producer is a genuine pleasure: fresh, juicy, honest and full of fruit. Think of it as a toast to the harvest rather than a wine for the cellar.

And if you want to understand how serious Beaujolais can be, look beyond the Nouveau to the ten crus: Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié and Saint-Amour. A Morgon or a Moulin-à-Vent from a good year can age beautifully for ten years or more, and many of the region's best growers work organically or naturally. These are the bottles I love to open with clients.

What to eat with Beaujolais Nouveau?

Keep it simple and generous: charcuterie, saucisson, rillettes, a pâté en croûte, roast chicken, a salad with lardons and a poached egg, or soft cheeses like a young Saint-Marcellin. In Lyon, it is traditionally served in a pot, the thick-bottomed 46-centilitre bottle of the bouchons.

Can you visit the Beaujolais vineyards in November?

Yes, and it is a beautiful moment. The vines turn gold and copper, the harvest is over, and producers have a little more time to welcome visitors. The region is about an hour from Lyon by car, and a day trip can easily combine two or three wineries, a lunch in a village and a walk among the golden stone villages of the south of the region. Wine visits in France are always best with a driver, so everyone can taste. If you are curious about the region's lighter, natural side, here is my guide to natural wine regions in France.

Frequently asked questions

When is Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 released?

On Thursday 19 November 2026, the third Thursday of November. The first bottles are opened at midnight in the Beaujolais.

What grape is Beaujolais Nouveau made from?

Gamay. It is harvested in September and made quickly so that it can be drunk young, with fresh red fruit aromas.

Where is the best place to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau?

In the Beaujolais itself, at the Sarmentelles de Beaujeu festival, held from 18 to 22 November 2026, or in the bouchons of Lyon, about an hour away.

How long does Beaujolais Nouveau keep?

It is best within a few months of release, ideally before spring. For wines to age, choose a Beaujolais cru such as Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent.

If you would love to live the Beaujolais Nouveau in the vineyards, with Lyon as your base and a few great growers to visit, I would be happy to design that trip for you. Tell me about your trip.